


The Lightning in Me

by Elri (angelrider13)



Series: The Perfect Halo of Gold Hair and Lightning (Sets You Off Against the Planet’s Last Dance) [1]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate universe - Demigod, F/F, Gen, Minerva and Mama Strife have a baby together, The Strife family runs with wolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-06-05 18:24:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6716149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelrider13/pseuds/Elri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was patient. She was waiting. Around her, the Planet stirred and the Lifestream flowed.</p><p>Lightning is silent until it strikes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Nibelheim was not any easy place to live.

The mountain environment was harsh and the weather was unforgiving. Isolated as they were, they often had to fend for themselves. Help from outsiders was not even a choice to be considered - they rarely got visitors and those that came were often surprised to find that the town even existed in the first place.

Crops were difficult to grow as winters were long and cold. Most had to hunt for their own food, though that carried its own dangers as well. Monsters roamed the mountain freely and ever since the mako reactor was built, they had become all the more dangerous. As winter drew closer, the number of those that fell to fever increased, children and elderly especially. There was only one doctor in town and he could only do so much.

But the people of Nibelheim were survivors and they would persevere.

Eira Strife had lived in Nibelheim all her life.

Her mother's family had been around since the town's founding and so she was learned in the old ways that most had forgotten.

She was considered an odd one, eighteen and not yet married or engaged. She'd never even given thought to boys before and her parents turned down every offer for her hand as she had no interest in the affair. But that winter, her mother had fallen ill and no matter what they tried, she would not recover. Her father was never the same after she passed. Her parents had been hopelessly in love, the kind where their very souls were entwined. So Eira was not surprised when her father passed not even three months after her mother.

She was devastated of course. They were her parents and she loved him for they had understood her in a way that no one had ever even tried. Without them, she was adrift, alone in a sea of uncertainty. But she did not blame them. She knew that they would never live long without each other. Still she missed them as a child missed her parents.

Yet her father was not even cold in the ground before the rest of the town came knocking, demanding that she marry.

"It's only proper," they said.

"A young woman your age needs someone to look after her," they said.

"You should settle down and start your own family, dear," they said.

"If you wait any longer, no one will want you," they said.

Eira shut her door in their faces.

She didn't need anyone to look after her and she certainly didn't need someone who would take advantage of her parents' deaths to claim her like she was some prize.

No, she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

But she was lonely.

Her house was empty and the silence echoed in her ears.

Throwing on her boots and her hunting gear, she shouldered her father's shotgun and trekked out into the snow. Hunting was easy. Her father had started teaching her when she was young and while the townspeople went on and on about how improper it was for a woman, a young girl at that, to handle a weapon. But her mother had only nodded and said hunting was in a woman's blood.

It was the females who led the hunts in Nibel wolf packs, the females who were alpha.

So while her mother was unable to teach her due to an accident from when she was younger, her father ensured that she knew everything there was to know about hunting - how to use a rifle, how to track, how to trap, and so on.

The cold bit into her skin even through her layers, but she trudged on.

Winter was harsh in Nibelheim and it made her people hard.

There was a storm coming; the air was heavy with it and most of the animals had taken shelter. She managed to catch a few rabbits before it became clear that there would be little else in this weather.

Instead of turning back, though, Eira trudged on, further up the mountain.

Most people had forgotten, but Eira's mother's family remembered. The cavern nearest to highest peak, hidden away from the world, was a sacred place. A shrine that no one ever acknowledged creating made of stone and ice and mako crystal honoring the Goddess that so few remembered.

Her mother had taken her several times when the weather allowed her to make the climb and Eira remembered the stories she told.

"Cetra were the people of old," she would say, "They could speak to the Planet and hear her words, her voice. It is a talent that was lost with their people. But remember, little cub, just because we cannot hear the Planet does not mean She cannot hear us."

When Eira reached the cave entrance, she found a pack of Nibel wolves huddled just inside, curled up in a pile with the pups in the center to keep them warm. A female white wolf with blue-green eyes that glowed in a way that only mako could create stood at her approach.

She stopped and bowed her head. "I mean no harm," she said softly, voice barely stirring the air, holding out three of the five rabbits she caught in offering, "I just wish to speak and be heard."

The wolf approached Eira's still form, sniffing at the rabbits before snatching them away and trotting back to her pack. She tilted her head in acknowledgement and then settled, glowing eyes watching her.  
  
Eira released the breath she'd been holding and stepped into the cave - Nibel wolves exposed to mako were much more unpredictable and often more inclined to feast on man flesh than those that were not. She silently slipped passed the pack and into the cave, following the tunnels in a long remembered path. The tunnel opened up into a large cavern, the walled studded with mako crystals that glowed, illuminating the statue that stood in the center. It was surrounded by a shallow pool of mako, barely enough to cover her feet should she stand in it. The statue itself was in the likeness of a hooded woman, her hands cupped in front of her as if to hold something. Wings flared up around her from below, surrounding her.

Eira knelt at the edge of the small pool, hands clasped together in her lap, head bowed.

"I know that it's been a while since I last visited," she began, "But this winter has been a hard one. My parents have passed into your care and while I miss them terribly, I know they are together. They never could stand to be apart for long." Her eyes burned and she swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. "I know that you will care for them and that they will be loved. If...if you could tell them that I love them, I would forever appreciate it. They know I do, of course, but now that they're gone, it just seems like I never said it enough." She felt tears stream down her cheeks, but plowed on. "And you can tell them that I won't let those stuffy old fools force me into anything. Da's not even gone a day and they're already telling me to marry someone."

She scoffed and rubbed her eyes in a vain attempt to stop her tears. "Bloody vultures, the lot of them," she said, voice rough, "I won't marry any of them though. None of them care for me, not really, and I think they care even less about the old ways. So tell them not to worry about me - I can take care of myself." She paused, turning teary eyes up to look at the statue. "Just - They don't have to worry, really, I just haven't really...I haven't cried about it yet, so..."

Her voice choked off, words dissolving into a strangled sob. She curled in on herself, shoulders shaking as she cried into her knees. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Eira had no idea how long she sat there sobbing and whispering apologies to empty air. Her heart ached and her legs were numb - she could no longer feel the cold stone beneath them. Her fingers were sore from remaining clenched for so long and her nails bit into her skin. Her throat was raw and her eyes burned, but still she cried.

"Hush, child. You need not apologize; there is no crime in grieving."

Eira jerked up in surprise at the foreign voice only to quickly lower her eyes in respect.

A woman bathed in light stood before her with hair as gold as sunlight and eyes of the richest blue she had ever seen. She wore gold and silver armor and held a shield in her left hand and some kind of ornate javelin in her right.

"None of that, child," she said, "You are here to listen and be heard. Do not bow your head."

Tentatively, Eira raised her head. Her mother had told her stories of the Goddess Minerva. She was the embodiment of the Lifestream, a warrior, a healer. She was fierce as she was gentle. She was the Planet's voice and its protector.

"I didn't mean to trouble you," she mumbled, because surely the Goddess had better things to do than console a grieving teenager.

Minerva smiled softly. "I never mentioned any trouble, did I?" she said, "I hear all those that live on Gaia and all those that have passed. The Lifestream flows through everything and so I am everywhere."

"But why me?" Eira asked.

Minerva tilted her head. "Why not you?" she returned, "You honor the old ways as best you can, acknowledge that Planet as a living thing when those She houses have largely forgotten. So why not you, my merciful child?"

"I could say something about not being important enough," Eira murmured, "But Ma would box my ears. 'Every piece is part of the whole,' she'd say."

"Indeed," Minerva said, "Your parents are well, Eira Strife, do not let their fates trouble you."

Eira took a shaky breath, feeling tears sting her eyes again. "Thank you."

Minerva tilted her head in acknowledgement. "What will you do, child? I have heard you and you are lonely yet you refuse to wed."

Eira grimaced. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful," she said, "But none of them care for me - at the very least, they don't care enough to give me time to mourn. It seems more like they think with Ma and Da gone, I'll be easy pickings. I'm sure some of them have good intentions, it just...it leaves a bad taste in my mouth."

Minerva regarded her silently for a moment and Eira had to wonder at her. She was beautiful and powerful and here she was, speaking to her as if she were an equal.

"The Planet has been stirring for a long time now," the Goddess said at last, "The Calamity is waking and Gaia feels her taint growing, building. An offer, I will make you, Eira Strife."

She blinked, brow furrowed, confused. "An offer?"

"Bear me a Champion," Minerva said, pinning her with piercing blue eyes, "One of that will put an end to the Calamity. Raise them, love them, and they will be your own."

"...Champion?" Eira asked, breath catching in her throat as she realized what the Goddess was asking, was offering. Her hand came up to rest on her stomach. "A child..."

Minerva was silent as she turned the idea over in her head. "A Champion...what will they fight? This Calamity?"

The Goddess gave a solemn nod. "The Calamity hurt Us greatly in the past. It killed a great many of Our children and tried to destroy Us as well. It was sealed away after a long battle, but that work has recently been undone. And in their greed and curiosity, humanity has started to spread its taint. It is dormant for now, but it will not remain that way forever."

Eira pressed her lips in thought. The idea of fighting something that could destroy the Planet was terrifying - the idea of her child being the one to fight, even more so. She wasn't sure she would be able to bear it. But the thought of having a child at all, of having someone to love so unconditionally, made her heart swell.

"Alright," she said, looking the Goddess in the eye, "I will bear you a Champion. I will love them and care for them and when the time comes for them to fight, I will stand beside them."

The smile Minerva gave her was breathtaking. She let go of her javelin, which against all logic stayed standing even without her hold on it, and reached out, fingertips pressing lightly against Eira's cheek.

"A gift," the Goddess said, leaning in to brush their lips together.

It was only the slightest of caresses, yet it was warm and made her heart swell and her limbs tingle. She leaned into the kiss despite herself, wanting to bask in the feeling for as long as she could.

Minerva pulled away with an airy chuckle and Eira smiled at her sheepishly.

Looking somewhere behind Eira, the Goddess called, "Ylva."

Turning, she saw the white wolf she had passed on the way in standing by the tunnel entrance, watching them with bright, intelligent eyes.

"Look after her, Ylva," Minerva said, "She bears a gift most precious."

The wolf bowed as best a wolf could.

Minerva smiled and stepped back, retaking her weapon. "Be well, my merciful child," she said, "Remember that you are loved."

And in a swirl of soft light, she was gone.

It was only when the wolf - when Ylva nudged her shoulder that Eira realized she had been sitting there staring at nothing.

"Ah," she said, meeting the wolf's eyes and feeling no fear, "I suppose the storm has started then."

Ylva made a rumble of agreement.

She sighed. "No going home then," she hummed, absently resting her hands on her stomach.

Ylva huffed and snatched her jacket between her teeth, urging her to her feet.

"Alright, alright," Eira said, following the white wolf into the tunnels.

Ylva led her back to the pack, the other wolves still sound asleep, She pushed Eira down into the pile and curled around her, nosing along her neck for a moment before settling with a satisfied rumble.

"Suppose I'm staying with you for the night, then?" Eira mused.

Ylva pointedly glanced towards the mouth of the cave, where Eira could see nothing but white and wind, and back at her.

Eira smiled and leaned into Ylva's warmth reaching out and tangling a hand in white fur. "Is this okay?"

She felt a warm nose press against her forehead before Ylva settled, content. Eira lay against the alpha, one arm wrapped around her stomach.

A gift.

A child.

She was going to be a mother.

Eira Strife smiled out of happiness for the first time in months as she drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Eira ignored the whispers that followed her as she walked through town, head held high.

Her stomach was just beginning to swell and was still easily concealed by her thick dresses, but people had begun to wonder. It had been months since her parents’ deaths, and still she showed no interest in courtship of any kind. It was causing quite a stir among the townsfolk. They began to wonder if something was off with her, so insistent was she that she did not have any need for a husband. The men were baffled at best and disinterested at worse while the women gossiped their little hearts away.

She was content with that.

Let them talk as they pleased and she alone would know the truth of things.

Because while Nibelheim made people hard, they could still be quite backwards.

* * *

 

Standing before her mirror topless, Eira could clearly see the growing bump.

She ran her hand over the shallow curve of her belly feeling firm, taunt skin under her palm. No longer could the thickening of her waist be brushed off as simple weight gain. This was real. She was pregnant.

A laugh built up in her throat even as her eyes stung with tears, both hands coming up to wrap around her stomach.

“Little cub,” she whispered, “My little cub. I love you, dear one.”

* * *

 

Eira glared at Ylva, arms crossed over her chest.

"I am perfectly capable of hunting," she said.

The white wolf huffed at her and looked entirely unimpressed.

Eira groaned. "At least let me check my traps."

Ylva narrowed her bright eyes before giving a sharp nod.

Eira rolled her eyes. "Thank you, your majesty," she drawled. Ylva nipped at her fingers as she trotted alongside her. Eira glared down at her, but scratched her behind the wolf’s ears regardless. "You're lucky you're the alpha," she grumbled.

Ylva just looked smug.

"Yeah, yeah," Eira muttered as she went about checking her traps.

She caught three rabbits and two turkeys, all in all not a bad collection, but not enough for the pack.

"Sorry, Ylva," she said, as she stared back to the house, "Looks like we only have a small bounty tonight."

Ylva gave what she had decided was the equivalent of a shrug before marching off. Eira followed, confused at the disregard, but content to let it pass.

She saw the reason why when she reached her backyard. She's started entering the back way when she headed into the woods because Ylva and her pack often accompanied and she didn't want to alarm any of her neighbors with the sight of Nibel wolves trailing after her like ducklings.

Said wolves were currently looking at her expectantly, jaws painted red with blood, a buck sprawled out in the yard behind them.

She blinked. "That works too, I suppose," she said before turning stern eyes on Ylva, "I can hunt for my own food, you know."

Ylva gave her a look before pointedly dropping her eyes to Eira's swollen belly. Eira huffed, muttering about how she was pregnant, not crippled, and she could still function, thank you very much. Ylva ignored her and trotted over to the buck, inspecting the pack's kill.

"Wolves," Eira grumbled, trudging inside to gather the tools she would need to butcher the animal, absently patting Einar's head as the young male took up Ylva's place beside her.

* * *

 

“Oh!”

The pack jerked up at her exclamation and Eira was too stunned to wave them off. The baby kicked. A grin spread over her face as she rubbed the spot on her belly.

“That’s a strong kick, little cub,” she murmured.

She looked up as Ragna settled next to her. “I’m fine,” she said, scratching behind the female wolf’s ears, “The baby’s just moving around is all.”

Ragna’s ears flicked up at that and she began nosing along Eira’s stomach – only to jerk away as the baby kicked again.

Eira laughed at Ragna’s put out expression. Ylva huffed as she trotted over, inspecting Eira’s baby bump for herself. The baby kicked again, hitting the exact spot Ylva’s nose was pressed against her stomach. The alpha gave an approving rumble and pulled away to press her nose to Eira’s forehead instead.

Eira smiled. “Thank you, Ylva. They’ll be a good cub.”

Ylva yipped in agreement.

* * *

 

"I've told you before, Mrs. Bennett, there is no father," Eira said for what felt like the thousandth time in the past twelve minutes.

Six months into her pregnancy, it was obvious to everyone that she was with child. It was also glaringly obvious that she was unwed and no one was stepping forward to claim the child. Bafflement and confusion had turned to disapproval and scorn almost overnight when the town realized her condition.

Eira refused to let it bother her.

Men were no longer vying for her hand and women no longer spoke to her about settling down, so she counted it as a plus.

Upon visiting the midwife however, Eira was faced with a more through interrogation as to the origins of her present state than she had anticipated. Most of the townspeople said that she was loose with her body in a way that would have made her parents roll in their graves. Mrs. Bennett on the other hand, was quietly asking her if she had been forced.

While touched by the woman's concern for her, Eira had quickly grown tired of that line of questioning.

"I only want to know if the babe is healthy," she said, exasperated, "The parentage is rather moot at this point, don't you think?"

Mrs. Bennett pressed her lips into a thin line before giving in with a sigh. "I just worry, dear. And Gaia knows the fools in this town know nothing about women - including the women!"

Eira smiled at the old woman. "I really am alright," she said, "I promise, I am. Thank you for caring enough to ask."

Mrs. Bennett sniffed. "People should be asking more often instead of turning up their noses behind your back," she huffed, "The way we treat people in this town - honestly!"

Eira took Mrs. Bennett's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. The older woman had lost her husband shortly after they were married only to discover herself to be pregnant shortly after. The townspeople were appalled by the idea that she was unwed and pregnant - the fact that she was recently widowed meant next to nothing other than the fact that her child was legitimate. People still tried to force her into a marriage and Mrs. Bennett refused to this day. Her daughter was a beautiful, polite, kind woman, married with a family of her own now, and Mrs. Bennett was to thank for that. She raised her daughter on her own, scorn or no, and she did wonderfully.

"It's alright, Mrs. Bennett," she said, "A town of backwards people isn't going to stop me from loving the gift I have been given."

Mrs. Bennett pat her hand, eyes shining with approval. "Atta girl," she said, "And if you need any help, you just holler - I'd be more than happy to knock a few heads for you, my dear."

Eira laughed.

* * *

 

Wolves were very tactile creatures, she learned, especially with pack.

She was sitting on her back porch, reading, propped up against Einar with Freja and Frey sprawled across her legs. Einar had grown in the months she’d known him – the little pup growing into a hulking, wolf larger than even Ylva with fur as black as the night sky. Freja and Frey were from the same litter, both gray like storm clouds, though Frey was a shade or two lighter. They were the youngest of the pack and also the most curious about her pregnancy.

Frey nosed along her stomach and Eira reached down to stroke his head. “Soon, Frey,” she said, “We’ll meet the cub soon.”

Ylva glanced over at them from where the rest of the pack was play fighting in the yard, glowing eyes lingering for a moment, before Helka tackled her from behind, sending them both sprawling into the dirt.

Eira snickered at the sight, even as Ylva rose to the challenge and tackled Helka right back. Ingolf yowled as they rolled right over him and he retreated to lounge at her feet. She nudged him with her toes and he licked her in retaliation, pointedly settling his head across her ankles.

“Alright, alright, no poking Ingolf,” she teased, settling back against Einar and returning to her book, smiling at the older wolf’s rumble of agreement.

* * *

 

“Should be any day now, dear,” Mrs. Bennett said with a smile.

Eira nodded a thrill of excitement curling in her stomach. Her pack had started watching her much more closely. Ylva didn’t let her check her traps anymore and more often than not, she would find her alpha or one of the others on her back porch with their latest kill still cooling in their jaws. Einar kept trying to go into town with her and it took both Kustaa and Ingolf sitting on him to prevent him from following her. Frey and Freja both tried as well, but one look from Ylva was enough to stop them in their tracks.

Around the house though, she had ten furry shadows following at her heels.

It was a little unnerving to be under their eyes all the time, but Eira knew it was because they felt what was coming. Animals had a sixth sense about this kind of thing and if they thought the baby was coming, the baby was coming.

She was large enough now that her back ached if she stood too long and walks were becoming more and more difficult. Her feet and ankles started swelling, but Mrs. Bennett assured her that was normal.

“I think I should start making house visits,” the old midwife said, “Walking through town isn’t getting any easier for you. Lyllanna and I can take care of your errands in the meantime.”

“I don’t want to put you out,” Eira said with a slight frown on her face.

Mrs. Bennett just waved a hand in dismissal. “It’s no trouble,” she replied, “We’re perfectly capable of walking to you for a change.”

And that was how Eira found herself sitting before her pack, a pair of Mrs. Bennett’s gloves in her hand.

“Mrs. Bennett is a friend,” she explained, “She and her daughter are helping make sure the baby is healthy, so you have to let them in when they come here, okay?”

Raoul sniffed at one of the gloves before snatching it up and presenting it to his mate. Ylva nosed the worn fabric, the rest of the pack watching. When she gave a low bark, the others moved forward to smell the gloves. Eira ended up having to take them back when Ragna and Oydis tried to play tug-o-war with one glove.

“I have to give these back, you know,” she said sternly.

Oydis pouted and made to take the glove back, but Eira held it out of reach.

“No,” she said, glaring.

The female grumbled but subsided. Eira shook her head in exasperation, turning to look at Ylva. “Puppies. Our entire pack is made of puppies.”

Ylva just laughed at her.

* * *

 

Labor was not at all what Eira expected.

It was slow to start, just small contractions every now and again. But her little cub was strong, and the contractions felt very much like kicks so she thought nothing of them. Her pack came to the house early, watching her restlessly and she had simply rolled her eyes at their motherhenning. Then she felt something warm and wet start dripping down her legs a few hours later.

“Oh,” she said, eyes wide.

Ylva and Raoul scowled at her, while Einar shifted restlessly, whimpering. He had practically been glued to her side these past nine months, becoming her shadow for all intents and purposes. She was hardly allowed to go anywhere without him these days.

“I don’t suppose you’ll let me walk down to Mrs. Bennett’s?” she asked.

Einar gave her a dry look.

“Didn’t think so,” she muttered before curling in on herself as another contraction hit. “Okay, that one was definitely longer,” she said breathlessly.

Ragna walked up to her and snagged her skirts between her teeth and tugged, pulling Eira with her. Eira huffed in exasperation but followed, Einar pressed against her side. Good thing to because another contraction hit, making her stagger, Einar’s bulk was the only thing keeping her up.

“That was really close together,” she said, “Guys, I really need to go see Mrs. Benne – ”

Ragna growled low in her throat and tugged harder at her skirts. Frey and Freja joined Einar in pushing her towards the bedroom. She groaned, knowing that at this point she was not going to be winning this argument, and let the wolves lead her towards her bed.

Einar climbed up onto the bed, lying down against the headboard and gave her an expectant look that made her grin despite herself.

“So that’s how it’s gonna be?” she asked.

Ragna huffed and butt her head against her thigh impatiently.

“Alright, alright,” she grumbled, carefully maneuvering so that she was propped up against Einar.

Wolves ran hot and Einar’s heat at her back was soothing even as another contraction hit, making her tense. The pack crowded around her bed, Frey and Freja going so far as to try and climb up. Ragna growled at them and they backed down, ears pressed flat against their heads.

Kustaa nudged her side and huffed when she didn’t breathe out with the contraction.

“Right, breathing,” she gasped out, “Breathing is a thing.”

She was trying very hard not to panic. Labor hurt and the birthing hadn’t even started yet. She was only eighteen and she had no idea what she was doing. She suddenly missed her mother with an intensity that made her ache. Her eyes burned with tears and her breath hitched even as she struggled to keep it steady.

It hurt.

It hurt so much.

Raoul licked her hand and she twined her fingers through his fur, griping as another contraction hit. She gasped out an apology, but Raoul didn’t make a sound and made no move to pull away. His eyes were steady and he exuded the same endless patience he always did when dealing with the pack.

“Remember, little cub,” her mother had said, “Women are built for pain. We were made to give birth, to bring new life into the world – and there is nothing more painful than life.”

She remembered frowning up at her mother, confusion plain on her face. “Then why do it?”

Her mother had smiled and took her face between her hands and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Because dear one,” she said, “Anything worth having is something you have to fight for.”

Eira took a breath and released it slowly.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

She gasped as another contraction hit, but she managed not to yank on Raoul’s fur this time. They were getting closer together.

The door flew open and the entire pack, Eira included, whipped around to stare at the person entering the bedroom. Mrs. Bennett stood in the doorway, eyes wide in surprise, her daughter’s pale face hovering over her shoulder and Ylva at her side.

“Eira,” Mrs. Bennett said breathlessly, “What in the name of the Goddess…?”

Eira just stared at her, jaw hanging open, unable to respond. Mrs. Bennett seemed to be taking the sight of an entire pack of Nibel wolves stuffed into her bedroom rather well and she apparently followed one to the house if Ylva’s pleased look was anything to go by, but Lyllanna looked like she was about to faint. Or scream.

Luckly, another contraction hit and that sent everyone into motion. Mrs. Bennett pushed her way through the pack to the bed, shooing them out of the way with that no nonsense steel tone she used on everyone.

“No, you are crowding her and I can’t work with all of you in here,” she said firmly, hands on her hips, “ _Out_.”

Ylva barked at them when the pack remained stubbornly rooted in place and reluctantly, they shuffled out of the room. The alpha had to growl at Einar to get him off the bed and then Raoul had to bodily shove him out of the room. Ylva huffed after them before taking Einar’s place and glaring at Mrs. Bennett, daring the woman to try and move her.

“Someone’s made some friends,” Mrs. Bennett said pointedly as she helped Eira pull off her skirts.

Eira gave her a helpless smile and shrugged before wincing, head falling back against Ylva’s bulk, as another contraction hit.

“Another already?” Lyllanna asked with a frown from where she stood at the foot of the bed.

The woman was six years Eira’s senior with two children of her own and she had learned her mother’s trade well. Though she eyed Ylva warily, she helped her mother pull a clean, thick sheet under Eira’s legs and moved to follow the instructions her mother gave without hesitation – including leaving the room to boil some water in a house full of wolves.

“Brave,” Eira murmured as she left.

Mrs. Bennett scoffed at her. “Of course she is. She’s mine.”

Eira breathed out a laugh. “You’re not going to ask?”

“Dear heart, not is not the time to be worrying about the number of strays you’ve taken in,” the old woman said, “They clearly mean you no harm and you’ve a little one on the way. We’ve more important things to worry about at the moment.”

Eira was surprised but let the matter drop. This wouldn’t be the end of it, she knew that, but Mrs. Bennett was right. The contractions were getting closer and closer together; the baby would be here any minute now.

It was painful.

Probably the most painful thing she had ever endured. Even worse than that time when she was eleven and broke her leg after falling out of a tree.

She was vaguely aware for Mrs. Bennett talking about crowning and Lyllanna saying something in response. And then Lyllanna was at her shoulder reminding her to breathe, she had to breathe through the contractions. Breathe in between them and out during them, but she had to breathe. She pressed into Ylva’s warmth at her back and forced herself to breathe.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

“Push, Eira. You have to push now,” came Mrs. Bennett’s calm, but firm voice. There was steel in her tone and that steel always meant ‘listen or else’ so Eira pushed.

She was wrong before. _This_ was painful.

The pain from the contractions was still there but now there was pressure in addition to it and Eira decided that she very much did not like the sensation. She’d know though. She’d known going into this that labor would be painful – she had no idea how much but she knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. Anything worth having was something she was going to have to fight for, after all, and so far, she would very much consider childbirth to be a fight.

Time blurred together and all she remained aware of was Lyllanna’s reminders to breathe and Mrs. Bennett’s commands to push.

A sharp cry cut through the air and Eira stared up at the ceiling, panting, eyes burning with tears as a helpless smile stretched across her lips.

“It’s a boy,” Lyllanna informed her softly, a small smile on her face, “Ma’s just cleaning him up a bit and then you can meet him, alright?”

“Okay,” she croaked, exhausted beyond belief.

Lyllanna gave her hand a squeeze, her expression knowing. “Don’t worry,” she said, “He’s fine and you’ll love him. Don’t be afraid to show it.”

Eira laughed and let her tears fall. “Okay,” she said again, too tired to think of anything else.

“Here we are,” Mrs. Bennett said, grinning, placing a bundle on her chest, “One perfectly healthy baby boy.”

Eira cradled him close, pulling the blanket away to get a better look at him. He had her chin and nose and she could see her mother in the curve of his cheeks and her father in the slope of his jaw. The downy hair on his head was bright gold and shined in the dim light of the room – far, far brighter than her own dark blond hair. His coloring was like nothing anyone in Nibelheim had. It was something he’d gotten from his other Mother it seemed.

“Hello, little cub,” she whispered, “I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you.”

Bright, blue eyes that seemed to glow flickered open for a moment before his face scrunched up in a yawn, lips smacking together.

She smiled; yes, his coloring was definitely from his other Mother.

He was perfect.

“Ylva,” she whispered, “Look.”

She felt the alpha wolf shift behind her, shifting so that her head rested on Eira’s arm. She peered down at the little cub her Goddess had made with this human, pressing her nose into soft hair. Ylva huffed, an approving rumble sounding from her chest.

“Any thoughts on a name?” Mrs. Bennett asked from where she was gathering the soiled sheets.

Eira hummed, tracing a finger across her son’s cheek, thinking of eyes that were the color of the sky. “Cloud,” she said softly, “His name is Cloud.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant the running with wolves thing seriously. Mama Strife hunting with wolves. Baby Cloud being babysat by wolves. Just. Wolves. Everywhere. Fight me.

**Author's Note:**

> I am suddenly filled with the need to write Mama Strife and wolf pack shenanigans.
> 
> Anywho, what do you guys think?


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